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Student Volunteer Series, No. 9. 


HAn Appeal from Sndia. 


BY 


MISS GRACE E. WILDER. 


AN APPEAL FROM INDIA. 


“He that reapeth receiveth wages, and 
gathereth fruit into 4fe eternal .” 


No land is in itself more attractive than 
India. ‘To those who would relieve suffering, 
or break the fetters of caste, or abolish cruel 
customs and ignorance, no land presents 
more appealing facts than India. 

Just here lies a subtile danger to those of 
us as yet undecided about our field. If these 
facts so appeal to us as to become the rea- 
sons for our coming to India, we are doomed 
to bitter disappointment. 

The fact that our Saviour is using us in the 
salvation of souls and for hastening the day 
of His coming,— this is certainly the reason 
for our staying in India. So we who are here 
would say to you in America and Canada, this 
is the strongest appeal we can send you for 
coming to India. 

The presence of the moving cloud was suf- 
ficient reason for the Israelites to follow. 


a ~ 


Does not the presence of God’s Spirit, as 
now felt in India, convince us that He is 
calling a large portion of our volunteer band 
to work for Him here ? 

Do you say there are large tracts in Africa 
unoccupied? True. Yet, relative to its pop- 
ulation, India must have some one hundred 
and nineteen more missionaries to equal the 
missionary force of Africa. 

I cannot wonder that such news as comes 
from Japan attracts you to that ‘field ; but 
consider also the workings of the Spirit in 
India. Why is Satan so defiant here? What 
means the growth of ‘the Arya Somaj or the 
effort to start Vedic schools? Why are stones 
hurled at our new church in Allahabad, or 
what stirs Mohammedans to publish a Mani- 
festo against such as allow Christian ladies to 
teach their wives and mothers? Is not this 
Satan’s final challenge? And is it not because 
“the Lord is uttering His voice before His 
army ?” 

The history of our Volunteer Movement is 
proof enough that “it is of God.” If one of 
you desires yet a further pledge that He is 
surely going before us, watch His quiet work 
of preparation. 

The door, “great and effectual,” opening 
among these Hindoos is not a more blessed 


4 


indication of the Spirit’s presence than is the 
longing of heart which He is giving to India’s 
missionaries. We realize a growing desire to 
have new missionaries come to us in /arge 
numbers. We are not at ease. We are not 
satisfied with present results. God is leading 
us to attempt more and expect more. 

Last month a missionary said to me, “I 
don’t want to go to America now. I believe 
there is to be a great breaking up in India, 
and I want to witness it.”’ 

Another from Madura writes: “The indi- 
cations of a great harvest unto the Lord are 
greater than ever. Our cry is, Where are the 
laborers?” 

Rey. B. H. Badley, of Lucknow, writes: 
“We had thirty-five hundred baptisms in our 
mission last year, and expect the number to 
be much larger this year. If our young men 
and women could only see the needy fields, 
and the practicability of se’r coming to help 
us, it seems to me scores would come.” 

From the Central Provinces one writes: 
“I am persuaded in my own mind that the 
most eventful period in the history of mis- 
sionary effort in this country is now rapidly 
approaching. The Lord is preparing for a 
time of glorious ingathering. These souls 
will need the care of His children.” 


5 


Is it surprising that in such a period you 
are restive at home, and that with a mission- 
ary purpose in your heart you are not easily 
turned aside by the objections of friends? 
From missionary altars all over India prayers 
are ascending for this result. Friends would 
better sympathize with us, indeed, would not 
dare to detain us volunteers, could they but 
realize how we are prayed into the work. 

That you may see how inevitable it is that 
many of you come to India, may I give you 
a few echoes from letters which have come 
to me. 


Arcot Mission, of the Reformed Church. 
Rev. J. W. Scudder says, for the two million 
souls of this field: ‘We have only eight mis- 
sionaries. My experience is that a mission- 
ary, with even a good staff of native helpers, 
cannot influence more than twenty thousand 
heathen. ‘Taking the proportion of one to 
twenty thousand, our mission would call for 
one hundred missionaries. Never in my 
somewhat long experience were the claims of 
India apparently so urgent as now. A rest- 
less, almost feverish, spirit of inquiry pervades 
the community.” 


North India Conference, M. FE. Church. 
Dr. Thoburn writes: “ We need twenty-two 


6 


men and a dozen unmarried ladies at once.” 
Rev. B. H. Badley, Secretary, says: “In our 
mission we have many ’zillah (counties) with 
a population of a million each, with only one 
foreign missionary. ... Our only hope would 
be for volunteers, to be supported by the col- 
leges. I am glad to say that we have one such 
worker, Mr. Mansell. His Alma Mater, the 
Ohio Wesleyan University, supports him, and 
the students do not lessen their contributions 
to the regular missionary collections.” 


Madura Mission, American Board, At 
the vote of the mission, Rev. J. P. Jones has 
written, beseeching. that eight new families 
be sent at once to-fill vacancies. Mr. Jones 
writes me: “To-day, one brother has four 
stations, another, three, and two others, two 
each. How can they do justice to the work? 
‘They are all driven to the verge of desper- 
ation and ill health. We thank God that we 
have recently received into our mission circle 
one of that large band of consecrated stu- 
dents. How we long, and pray, and write, 
and implore, that more be sent.” 


Marathi Mission, American Board. Of 
the vote sent last year from this mission, Dr. 
Bissell says: “It was in reply to the inquiry, 
How many missionaries are imperatively 


7 


needed at present? The answer says, Six 
ordained and two single ladies. As we hope 
each of the missionaries will bring his wife 
with him, this means fourteen in all. These 
are asked, not with the purpose of largely ex- 
tending our work, but in order to carry on 
efficiently work already in hand.” 


Maratht Mission, American Presbyterian 
Board. An urgent request has been sent for 
sixteen new workers. In Kolhapur State alone 
there are ten hundred and ninety-seven vil- 
lages. Preaching thrice daily in three differ- 
ent villages, it would take a missionary a 
whole year to preach once around to the 
village population of that single state. 


The American Free Baptists are working 
with eight missionary families and four ladies, 
among a population of over three million. 
O. R. Bacheler writes: ‘‘ For several prom- 
inent stations within our borders, missionaries 
have been earnestly called.” 


American Evangelical Lutheran Mission. 
Reva. 3B. Wolfl;secretary, writes “0.7 1 ne 
population of this field is eight hundred 
thousand. We need more men and women 
too. West of us are wild tribes not at all 
reached by the gospel.” 


8 


The Canadian Baptist Mission renews its 
appeal, asking that forty-eight workers be 
sent to the Telugu field at once. 

The faithful worker in Secunderabad, Rev. 
C. B. Ward, wants twelve missionaries at once. 
From his church of one hundred souls he can 
supply helpers. He writes: ‘I long to 
see some agency work, not to oppose, but 
supplement, existing missions. The heart of 
this people is open. Is there a chance of 
life for them? ” 


LNisciples of Christ Misssion has sent an 
appeal for more workers. Neighboring hill 
tribes of Gonds and Kurkoos have no one to 
work regularly among them. 


The Friends’ Mission needs workers to 
open up a work among hill tribes on the 
Satpura range. 


In the Akola Field missionaries are praying 
God to send thirty men for that region. 
Mrs. Fuller writes: “The greater need is the 
quality of the men. We need anointed 
men; men who &zow Christ, who find in 
God the answer to every difficulty, hindrance, 
or disappointment.” 


Presbyterian Mission, North India. ‘We 


would shout for joy if we heard that nine men 
and five ladies were coming next fall. Our 


!) 


occupied regions are unoccupied ; that is, we 
place one or two men in a station, which is 
the city or ’zillah of a district, with a popula- 
tion of from six to nine hundred thousand. 
What we need is that in every such district, 
not only the city be occupied, but that there 
be a missionary in from two to six towns in 
each district.” 

Unoccupied Fields. The needs of these 
you must come and voice. Who will rough 
it in the wild district of Kumaon, to reach 
the rough highlanders on the Himalayas for 
whom no one is working ? 

Rajputana contains two towns with a popu- 
lation above twenty-five thousand; three, 
with a population above twenty thousand ; 
five, with a population above fifteen thou- 
sand ; and eleven, above ten thousand each, 
—all as yet unoccupied. 

The Nizam’s Dominions are now open ; 
population, ten million. Only a beginning 
has been made in the Canarese portion on 
the west. 

Leaving fifty miles north of Secunderabad, 
there are three Telugu districts, with a popu- 
lation of three million, unoccupied. 

Across the Godavery, Bustor State, with 
one-half to one million aborigines, is not yet 
entered by missionaries. 


IO 


Four districts of Eastern Bengal, with 
nearly five million, and in Northern Bengal, 
Bogra, population seven hundred and thirty- 
four thousand, and Maldah, population seven 
hundred and: ten thousand, have no mission- 
ary. 

Much of India is but nominally occupied. 
The region about Jhansi and Bhopal is said 
to have ten million unprovided for, except 
for the mission at Jhansi, and a native worker 
of the American Board at Lalitpur. 

In Eastern Bengal, the English Baptists 
reckon their field at seventeen and one-half 
million ; and for these souls fifteen European 
missionaries are working. 

To you who have finished your course of 
study, and waver not at the question of ulti- 
mate coming, but of coming /hzs year, I 
would say, Satan is taking advantage of our 
delays. Our aboriginal tribes, numbered at 
some fifty millions, now very accessible, are 
said to be getting rapidly absorbed into Hin- 
duism. In large cities, where for years there 
has been much undermining of old faiths, 
infidelity, materialism, and theosophy are 
being pressed upon the attention of the 
people, and there is danger of seven unclean 
spirits coming in, in place of cne. 


15 


We need you zow. We pray God to send 
you to us filled with the Holy Spirit. It is 
useless to preach Christ to minds steeped in 
ignorance and idolatry in any other way than 
in the “ power of the Spirit.” 


GRACE E. WILDER. 


} 


SONGLI, S.M.C., INp1a, 
May 8, 18go. 


STUDENT VOLUNTEER SERIES. 


The American Student Uprising. 
By John R. Mott. 


Shall I Go. By Miss Grace E. Wilder. 


_ The Volunteer Pledge. By Robert P. Wilder. 


The Volunteer Bond. By Robert E. Speer. 


Volunteer Work in the Churches. 
By W. W. Smith. 


The World’s Need. By John N. Ferman. 
An Appeal from China. By Geraldine Guinness. 
An Appeal from India. By Grace E. Wilder. 


Numbers 1 to 5 inclusive, price 3 cents each, $1.50 per 
too postpaid. 


Numbers 7 to g inclusive, price 2 cents each, 75 cents per 
too postpaid, 


The above numbers can be obtained of 
Walter J. Clark, No. 50 East 7oth Street, New 
York City. 


